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Piracy The Internet United States Politics Your Rights Online

All 12 Member Countries Sign Off On the TPP (freezenet.ca) 186

Dangerous_Minds writes: News is surfacing that the TPP has officially been signed by all 12 member countries. This marks the beginning of the final step towards ratification. Freezenet has a quick rundown of what copyright provisions are contained in the agreement, including traffic shaping, site blocking, enforcement of copyright when infringement is "imminent," and a government mandate for ISPs to install backdoors for the purpose of tracking copyright infringement on the Internet.
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All 12 Member Countries Sign Off On the TPP

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  • by WillAffleckUW ( 858324 ) on Thursday February 04, 2016 @03:36PM (#51441303) Homepage Journal

    Now any corporation can sure your country, but you can't vote on the selling out of your rights to foreign corporations.

    Are you happy yet?

    Days like this I wish I'd never helped create the Internet or the tools you use, or let it escape from academia.

    • Lol, sorry, I mispelled sue.

      • by rtb61 ( 674572 )

        You also jumped the gun quite a bit. Now the respective countries governments have to review what the selected corporate representatives from each country agreed to and either accept it or reject it, no changes allowed. Pretty much solid indication is, it is going to be rejected and collapse, at which time the lobbying from corporations and the threats from the US government will start.

    • Why not just fire off the entire government and vote on which corporation you want to run your country? It's basically what's happening now, but we could fire a whole ton of puppets that are taking our money for nothing.
      • Actually, I'm one of the one percent, and have voted direct shares. But most of you aren't. You're serfs.

        (thinks)

        No, serfs have rights. At best you're indentured servants.

        • by wardrich86 ( 4092007 ) on Thursday February 04, 2016 @04:30PM (#51441709)
          Pff, 1%ers don't surf the regular web. I call shens. Shouldn't you be on like... Billiondollardot or something? haha
        • I'm not among the 1%, but there are several stocks that I directly own, and have voted. It really doesn't matter.

          The Board is going to decide how the shareholders' votes go. A very large amount of stock is held by institutional investors, who are almost certain to vote as the Board recommends. (After all, there's a lot of interlocking stock ownership going on, and as long as everybody at high levels votes the Boards' way in all companies everybody who matters will get along just fine, right?)

          As a sm

    • by sycodon ( 149926 )

      It's not a treaty, so nothing in it has the force of law.

      If someone can't sue now, they can't sue even after Obama signs it.

      • It's not a treaty, so nothing in it has the force of law.

        It *IS* a treaty. An international agreement is a treaty, by definition. That's what treaty means.

        However, it is only a legal treaty in the U.S. if it gets ratified by Congress. And we'd better hope that's not the case.

        Further yet, there's the issue of whether a treaty can override internal U.S. laws. My money is on NO.

    • It's called an oligarchy.

    • Days like this I wish I'd never helped create the Internet or the tools you use, or let it escape from academia.

      Cheer up, it's not the tools that are broken. It's greed. Avarice, one of the deadly sins, is wholly responsible for this abominable legislation.

  • Frist! (Score:3, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 04, 2016 @03:36PM (#51441305)

    Don't forget, we're putting covers on our TPP reports before we send them out now.

  • by Sebby ( 238625 ) on Thursday February 04, 2016 @03:44PM (#51441361)
    The TPP (or as I've seen it referred to - the "Tyrant Protection Plan") is nothing but a sham, no part of it has anything to do with 'trade', and all of it having to do with corporations ensuring their profits, at the cost of those countries' citizens.

    Why else would they be permitted to sue countries/governments over alleged threats to their 'perceived potential profits' due to new laws (such as environment protections laws that might forbid those companies from operating under these new laws) passed by said countries.

    • by gstoddart ( 321705 ) on Thursday February 04, 2016 @03:50PM (#51441423) Homepage

      no part of it has anything to do with 'trade', and all of it having to do with corporations ensuring their profits, at the cost of those countries' citizens

      That's what "trade" means these days, didn't you get the memo?

      This whole TPP is basically the foundation of an international corporate bill of rights, which places the demands of corporations into law around the world.

      Pushed by the US government, who are conveniently on the payroll and dedicated to advancing those corporate interests.

      This "treaty" is pretty much the global oligarchy tightening the noose. Entrenching copyright, imaginary property, and making sure to be able to fight governments ability to pass laws is the entire fucking point.

      Citizens? This isn't to benefit us ... unless you mean corporate citizens.

      • by Sebby ( 238625 ) on Thursday February 04, 2016 @04:08PM (#51441553)
        Time they read this [politico.com].
        • Or this [www.cbc.ca], which is Jim Balsillie (one of the BlackBerry co-founder who is a billionaire) spelling out why this treaty is a terrible idea (for Canada at least).

          The TPP is selling the fucking farm for some magic beans. It's basically the US allowing corporations to set international policy for their own benefit.

          This is only beneficial to the corporations who paid for it, and the politicians and lobbyists on the payroll to fucking deliver it. It offers pretty much no benefit to the citizens of those countries

    • How does enriching corporations with my money not have anything to do with "trade?" It seems to have a bit too much to do with trade if you ask me!

      We have a lot of people opposing this, but if the signal/noise isn't favorable it might not help. We have to get enough rational people not only to oppose the rational paid supporters on the other side, but also to counter-act the irrational nutcases who make us look bad.

  • by Striek ( 1811980 ) on Thursday February 04, 2016 @03:46PM (#51441381)

    It hasn't been ratified though. There are significant benefits to being an original signatory on any international treaty, and every member country is afraid of being left in the dust if they don't. There are provisions requiring signatories to ratify certain provisions, but it has not been ratified yet, only signed, and there is a big difference.

    The TPP might actually be a net financial gain for the United States - unfortunately, at the expense of other countries involved. A number of provisions in it give an unfair advantage to the US, because they have demanded that these provisions be put in.

    Michael Geist is doing a very good review of all the problems with the TPP, and has been posting daily [michaelgeist.ca] about it for about a month now. It's a rather Canadian perspective on it, but a good read nonetheless.

    • The TPP might actually be a net financial gain for the United States

      Even many who are opposed agree with that statement. The thing is, it also might not. ;) So, not really good financial planning. "You know, this deal doesn't look too bad; you might not even lose your shirt! It is possible you would come out ahead."

    • The TPP might actually be a net financial gain for the United States - unfortunately, at the expense of other countries involved.

      The current pie in the sky all, all lights are green projections from an administration desperate to push this is 0.6% growth. That's the best they could muster when fudging all the numbers in a favorable direction. The US will most assuredly lose on this just like every other first world country. This is NAFTA all over again. My only fond thought is that at some point citizens will get fed up enough to revolt. Vote Bernie or Trump if you want to end these "Free Trade" agreements. Vote Hillary or

    • by mrchaotica ( 681592 ) * on Thursday February 04, 2016 @05:08PM (#51441905)

      The TPP might actually be a net financial gain for the United States

      ...at the cost of a net civil rights loss for United States Citizens. And that's the fucking problem! The whole goddamn thing is an omnibus bill of all the freedom-destroying shit the oligarchs and lobbyists can't jam through Congress halfway-legitimately.

    • by HiThere ( 15173 )

      You are counting the United States as if it were one unified entity. I'm sure it would benefit some parties who normally live in the United States. It would damage a much larger number of citizens. Possibly there would be a net combined monetary gain, but there would not be a net marginal gain. A dollar is worth a lot more to someone barely getting by that it is to someone extremely wealthy.

      The TPP is an ongoing disaster, and anybody who supports it should be considered a traitor to his/her country. An

  • by Verdatum ( 1257828 ) on Thursday February 04, 2016 @03:49PM (#51441407)
    Would it have been that hard to expand that initialism? I've got far too many TLAs floating around in my head to be able to figure out what context you are talking about. The inability to introduce a topic properly within a slashdot summary irks me more than all the other stuff people always moan about here.
    • by arth1 ( 260657 )

      Agreed. Whenever using an abbreviation or acronym that isn't universal, spell it out the first time you use it. And TPP is certainly not an universal abbreviation. The use here isn't even the most common one.
      See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org] for a reason why saying TPP without qualifying it is a bad idea, especially on a nerd site.

  • ISDS (Score:5, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 04, 2016 @03:50PM (#51441419)

    Investor-state dispute settlements here we come

    According to The Nation's interpretation of leaked documents in 2012, countries would be required to conform their domestic laws and regulations to the TPP Agreement, which includes provisions on government spending in certain areas
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Pacific_Partnership#Investor.E2.80.93state_arbitration_.28ISDS.29

    Welcome to shadowrun chummer

    • by Anonymous Coward

      Awesome! I'm gonna choose my class... umm, why is the only option "Slum Dweller"?

  • by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 04, 2016 @03:50PM (#51441429)

    The latest economics study on the TPP suggests it will "cause some job losses and exacerbate income inequality in each of the dozen participating nations, but especially in the largest — the United States"

    http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/02/business/international/economists-sharply-split-over-trade-deal-effects.html

  • by NotDrWho ( 3543773 ) on Thursday February 04, 2016 @04:05PM (#51441521)

    Just give in to the Hollywood studios, world. It's BLISSS.

  • by Anonymous Coward

    I can start respecting copyright at the same level as the average Chinese person does

    With utter contempt

    • by sims 2 ( 994794 )

      Iirc 90% of all windows computers running in china are non-genuine.

      • by Anonymous Coward

        And they prefer that compared to 15% more as genuine and the other 75% as Apple or Linux.

  • by Areyoukiddingme ( 1289470 ) on Thursday February 04, 2016 @04:17PM (#51441619)

    According to Michael Geist [michaelgeist.ca], TPP requires implementation of a DMCA-style take-down notice system, while eliminating the good faith belief requirement. Oh please oh please let it pass. YouTube? I'm sorry, it infringes. All of it. Vevo? Infringing. Take it down. Redtube? Infringing. Take it down. If TPP is implemented, it is our duty to see to it that no automated take-down system in any of the 12 countries will work anymore. And it will be legal.

    Finally all those spam botnets will have a productive use.

    • by Anonymous Coward

      Why stop at the streaming services? How about every newspaper, every movie studios home page, also Netflix. (Is it limited to web pages or can I file a take-down notice to a Cinema?)

    • Redtube? Infringing. Take it down.

      You sold me. How do I stop this?

      • by KGIII ( 973947 )

        How do I stop this?

        You're gonna need a five gallon pail of marmalade, three spoons from a virgin's kitchen, a shotgun, and a yak. When you acquire those things, let me know and I'll tell you the next step.

  • I noted this among the copyright provisions

    allow âoedestructionâ orders of any product circumvents copy protection

    What if the thing that is enabling circumvention is the fact that somebody is smart? Do they destroy every programmable product that person owns, or do they destroy the person?

    • What if the thing that is enabling circumvention is the fact that somebody is smart? Do they destroy every programmable product that person owns, or do they destroy the person?

      Well, people have been asking for it, and now, here it is, the Corporate Death Penalty! Coming soon to a city-state near you. We can eliminate threats to Intellectual Property and not tie up the local court systems. We can handle these recalcitrant individuals ourselves. We will have justice for our IP, it has rights, you know, it says so in the TPP. . .
      Wait, what!? You wanted the ability to use it on Corporations? Citizen, no! These institutions are the job creators. Destroying them would be hazar

  • We're headed deaper into the world of cyberpunk once more with all its hallmarks, including corporate socialism (corporates reap gain, citziens/taxpayers pay loss). TPP is just another step along the way. ... I wonder when there will be a counter movement. ... Right now everyone get's bored when I try to explain software and algorithm patents to them.Or they simply believe it doesn't exist.

    Whatever happens, I want a cyberdeck and Kanedas bike from Akira. ... And a tank with a few clones of me so I don't grow old. :-)

    • by KGIII ( 973947 )

      I am a bit of a student of history. I am not, by trade, a historian. However, it is my observation that the pendulum swings in (at least) two directions. The further it swings in any direction, the further it swings back.

      So, if history is any indication as to social, political, or economic events, and I think it is, there will be a backlash and it probably won't be pretty. It's quite likely that it will take some years and some push but the people will fight back eventually.

      If you knock someone down in the

      • by Lennie ( 16154 )

        Hi KGill. :-)

        Some of the things I'm seeing:
        - Google and Apple, Facebook/Whatsapp not yet cooperating with getting rid of encryption
        - lots of open source encryption tools
        - slowly but surely we are seeing some more open source hardware projects
        - Bitcoin and the follow altcoins exist - some even have some coinjoin system (anonymity)
        - OpenBazaar exists (not full anonymity yet) - open trade, no borders
        - decentralized DNS with .bit exist

        So at least some of the tools are in place...

        • by KGIII ( 973947 )

          Hello there, Lennie.

          You raise some interesting points. All quite true for those - which does overlap in other areas. So, maybe? At least I think I get what you're saying. This might be a bit long but I'll do my best to be concise and articulate.

          If you don't mind, and treat these as rhetorical in all or in part if you prefer - though I do welcome a reply, if I ask a question or two?

          Do we, as a citizenry, have enough impetus to act?
          Will we, in viable numbers, actually act and make changes to our own habits?
          Ha

          • by Lennie ( 16154 )

            Insomniac ? I hope you don't have that regularly, if so I suggest you do something about that. Less caffeine and less stress ?

            OK, I'll be the first to admit it. I'm no expert, I suggest you talk to one.

            I'm also not completely sane at this moment, this is the morning after a night on the town, their is still a lot of alcohol in my body. ;-)

            Anyway, about the topic at hand...

            Yes, I do think about it like a pendulum as well and about how far it can or will be pushed in one way (maybe even multiple pendulums). I

  • Read the summary as if, like me, you have no idea what 'TPP' is or means.
    Editorial fail.
  • Who will now be able to sell dozens and dozens of Kg of sugar to the US, provided it does not compete with US farmers...

//GO.SYSIN DD *, DOODAH, DOODAH

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